Avoid bill shock ... we have all heard the horror stories of travellers coming home to a phone bill greater than the cost of the trip — don’t let the same happen to you.Source: Getty Images

FOR years, Australians taking mobile phones overseas have been ripped off with global roaming charges, but travellers are now wising up on how to beat the bill shock.

We have all heard horror stories of holiday-makers coming home to a phone tab greater than the cost of the trip — in one recent case, a Melbourne businessman was hit with a $60,000 data bill after five days in China.

Thankfully, some worthwhile solutions have emerged.

As some Australian telcos have moved to put limits on global roaming charges, a growing number of independent companies have begun offering low-cost prepaid solutions with a foreign SIM card.

With a little planning you can cut your data costs to just $20 to $50 for a few weeks overseas.

All you need is an unlocked smartphone which, if you don’t have one already, is easy enough to buy second-hand at a bargain price.

As a reporter who travels overseas regularly for work, I learnt the mobile roaming lesson the hard way, after many hefty phone bills.

But shopping around for data options has put an end to big bills.

My tip? Get a foreign SIM and use the web, email and message apps rather than taking or making calls.

You can buy foreign SIM cards — with data — in Australia before you travel, or when you arrive overseas.

In Australia, $20 to $50 will typically buy between 1GB and 1.5GB of data (enough for email, web browsing and web-based text messaging for a month), although you can pay up to $90 for unlimited data in some countries.

SimCorner has outlets at Sydney and Melbourne international airports, and sales available online.

Last week, I walked up to the counter and handed over my money just like all the other travellers hoping not to get ripped-off.

I’m relieved to report that, having ‘road tested’ two different SIM cards in two different countries from SimCorner, they are, so far at least, the pick of the companies offering foreign SIM cards with generous data allowances rather than phone call credits.

My experience with TravelSim is mixed as it is not necessarily the cheapest for data. But that could be about to change as the competition heats up.

SimCorner and TravelSim (and, presumably all the other foreign SIM services) offer low initial prices in the hope you will buy more data (or phone call credits) from the foreign SIM card provider once the limit is reached.

But the other reason the prices are so cheap is simply because data is cheaper in many other countries. Australians, it seems, are paying over the odds even at home.

Have fun on holiday ... but don’t get stung with high global roaming chrages.Source: News Limited

CHOOSING A CARD

Some foreign SIM cards expire after seven days; you need to pay more if you want it to last a month or more. In most cases you can also top-up credit while overseas.

Be sure that the SIM you buy fits your phone. As I discovered the hard way, it’s almost impossible to get a refund after unwittingly buying the wrong SIM card from a foreign vending machine.

There are three different sized SIM cards: regular, micro and nano. My mistake: I confused micro with nano. I reckon I’m not the first to be duped this way.

Be wary of foreign SIM card outlets that will trim a larger SIM to nano size with a custom-made clamp. Sometimes the trimmed SIM cards work, sometimes they don’t.

To keep your costs to a minimum, be sure to buy a SIM for each country you’re visiting, otherwise your prepaid credit will evaporate the moment you switch on the phone in the wrong country.

Also, don’t install the SIM or switch on your phone until you land in the country it’s meant for.

SIM cards can be fiddly to handle (why hasn’t anyone invented a small protective travel pouch for them?). But this small amount of effort works out much cheaper than any method other than relying on free Wi-Fi — when you can find it.

OTHER TIPS TO CUT COSTS

Most airports require a code to be sent to your phone via a text message before you can access their Wi-Fi for free, but fear not.

Recent changes mean that most Australian telephone service providers no longer charge you to receive a text — but you will pay typically between 75 cents and $1 to reply to someone.

In essence, you’ll need to learn to be more efficient with your words; if you’re used to messaging a lot, those 75-cent texts can add up really quickly.

If you’re on an Apple iPhone, you can text to other Apple iPhone users for free providing you have Wi-Fi coverage or a SIM with data for the country you’re visiting.

If anyone calls you on your foreign number, that won’t cost you a cent — providing you’re in the country it’s intended for — the other caller will get billed.

But this is a lot cheaper than if someone calls your Australian mobile number while you’re overseas.

Shop around ... don’t stick with your local SIM card, get an international one.Source: ThinkStock

The Telcos really count the cash when this happens because they get to bill twice.

The person who is making the call from Australia pays local rates to call your phone (as if you were in Australia) but you — the receiver — end up paying to link the call from Australia to whichever country you happen to be in.

And that can cost between $2 and $10 per minute, depending on the country and the provider.

If you really must talk to someone you can, of course, use voice-over-internet apps such as Viber, What’sApp and Skype to chat once you have a foreign SIM with a generous data allowance.

But be warned: voice-over internet apps can eat through your data allowance quickly, even if it is generous, if you are too generous with your words.

Many airports are starting to block voice-over-internet apps because they take up so much bandwidth, so it’s a good idea to save some data in case you have to call someone rather than write a message.

But, if you’re careful, in most cases the data is enough for email, map reading, internet browsing, and web-based text messaging to last a month. In some cases, the data is unlimited.

So, get a foreign SIM, use the web, email and message apps rather than taking or making calls — and have a happy holiday knowing you won’t be coming home to a hefty bill.

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